TAMPA, Fla. — Inside a caged-in bullpen stood CC Sabathia, a confident man turned uneasy by surgery, about to embark on his first hurdle of the spring. Pitching coach Larry Rothschild hovered nearby. Head trainer Steve Donohue kept his hands in his pockets as he eyed Sabathia. In the stands, peering down into the bullpen, dozens of fans recorded Sabathia’s movements with camera phones.

It was his first time on a mound since a surgeon removed a bone spur from Sabathia’s left elbow last October. Sabathia would later admit he felt "a little nervous" about how the elbow would respond. He had played catch on flat ground since the surgery.

But he had not subjected his arm to the added stress of throwing off a mound, which creates more torque on the arm.

"I didn’t know how I was going to feel," Sabathia said.

He threw once. He threw twice. He threw three times. As Sabathia settled in, he said, his arm "felt comfortable," and his worries dissipated. Soon, the only sounds were the shutter of photographers’ cameras, the traffic rushing past on Dale Mabry Boulevard and the steady thump of pitches from Sabathia and fellow starter Andy Pettitte. Sabathia experienced the relief of pain-free pitching.

Sabathia worked quickly. He entered the bullpen at 9:58 a.m. He bounded down from the mound and shook hands with Arcia at 10:05 a.m. In between, he threw 29 pitches, all fastballs and changeups. He plans to incorporate his curveball and slider into his flat-ground sessions this week. He’ll throw another bullpen session Tuesday.

In a normal year, a side session from Sabathia would not warrant such attention. But elbow pain bothered him for much of last season. He needed two stints on the disabled list. He missed games because of injury for the first time since 2006.

For some pitchers this spring, the Yankees have chartered an aggressive course. Phil Hughes already has thrown seven bullpen sessions. David Phelps threw live batting practice earlier last week.

Sabathia, however, will be brought along at a slower pace. He does not expect to appear in the first five games in the Grapefruit League. The games begin Saturday, just five days after the team’s position players report. Manager Joe Girardi indicated Sabathia may not appear in a game until the week of March 3.

Girardi did not watch Sabathia throw. But he received a reassuring report from Rothschild. His only concern was how Sabathia’s arm would respond a day later.

"CC takes his bullpens always a little bit slow," Girardi said. "He’s in no hurry. And we’ve got a lot of time. The big thing is tomorrow. And everything I heard, he felt good today."

When Sabathia threw in pain last season, he felt stabs in his elbow when he finished pitches. The surgery removed that discomfort, a phenomenon he first experienced while playing catch down here. He sustained that feeling during his bullpen session yesterday.

"Actually throwing off a mound, and not having any pain feels good," he said.